Wind Chimes
by Saphira112
Summary: Len Kagamine doesn't know how many times the music companies had rejected him. After the ninth time, he runs into a man who tells him to keep trying. The man is famous, but Len doesn't recognize him at first. Eventual Kaito/Len. Better than it sounds
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **Hey, everyone! Sorry I've been away for a while. I know I desperately need to updates my other fics. I just need to get inspiration for them. In the meantime, I've been writing random stuff like this. This is actually a gift-fic for a friend, who is going to cosplay Kaito at a local con and she roped me into doing Len, so... yeah, can't wait for that! So please enjoy this fic and I'll try to update my other stuff soon! Love you all!

Wind Chimes

Chapter One

He had been rejected again.

Len let out a defeated sigh as he exited the tall building that scraped the sky above, which was clear with a bright sun shining happily down on him. But he didn't feel happy. This was the ninth time his audition had been cut short, the music company had denied his form and he was asked to leave. He wasn't sure what the problem was. His twin, Rin, had been accepted from her first audition (and her latest song "From S to T" was a huge hit already), and she had told Len that he could get in just as easily, because she loved his voice.

Well, needless to say, those words didn't offer comfort now.

Len walked down the street by a local park and stopped by one of the vending machines to get a Sprite. Luck wasn't on his side today, as the machine didn't immediately spit out the soda, so he gave it a good whack. That seemed to do it, but now his hand was throbbing from the action. A little irritated now, Len sat down on the bench, popping the tab on the can, and took a long sip. He let out a sharp breath after, and then sighed again. This was just frustrating. Rin had gotten in so easily. He might've been just a tad jealous of her because of that; he was the younger brother by only a few minutes, but he wouldn't call his voice horrid… Rin's voice was beautiful, and though he was jealous of that, he loved his sister all the same.

Len closed his eyes and ran a hand through his hair, removing his headset from his head so it hung around his neck. Now what could he do? There weren't that many more music companies he could go through and auditioning again for one that had rejected him was just an idiot move. He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, holding loosely to the can of Sprite. Was he truly all that horrible?

"Something wrong?"

Len snapped his head up, light aqua eyes falling on a tall figure in front of him. He had striking blue hair and navy eyes lined with coal and splashed with a hint of amethyst; he was tall, and wore casual black pants with a three-quarter sleeve black shirt with a wide collar. There was a dark blue scarf around his neck. He was regarding Len with a small smile and though he was obviously an adult – compared to Len, who was just sixteen – he didn't seem so overpowering.

Realizing he had been asked a question, Len snapped out of his daze and stared off towards the fountain in the middle of the park. "No, nothing." Who was this man and what did he want with Len? Sure, everyone in town was nice, and even the most random stranger would smile and wave at you, but it wasn't all that often Len was talked to by an _adult._

The man smiled somewhat sadly and sat down beside Len on the bench. "You seem disheartened."

Len glanced at the man, then shrugged. "Anyone who's realized they can't sing to save their life would be disheartened."

"What makes you say that?"

"Every music company I've thought of has rejected me. My twin Rin got accepted immediately, so it's only natural I should be, too, right?"

"Not necessarily," the man replied, regarding Len with a more serious look.

"Well, the music company said I have no talent, so—"

"That's ridiculous. I think your voice is fine."

Len gave the man a look. They had just met and this adult was saying he had a nice voice? Who was he, anyway? He hadn't even heard Len sing. Rather than question it, Len turned back to the fountain. "Just what they told me." Did he want pity or something? No, Len didn't like pity; hated it, in fact.

He took a swig from his Sprite, while the man watched him, scarf waving in the breeze. Len took another drink before leaning back against the bench, his headset clicking around his neck. He closed his eyes.

"You shouldn't give up, you know," the blue-haired male finally said, giving Len a smile.

Len blinked his eyes open and sat up. "Why are you trying to encourage me? You don't even know me." The man let out a chuckle. It was a nice sound, melodic, and it made the adult seem younger than he was. Len coloured lightly. "What's so funny?"

"Well, it's quite simple," the older male replied. "If you have a goal, go for it. If you want to sing, then sing. Don't be so discouraged; just because it may seem easier for some doesn't mean it'll be just as simple for you. Some people have to work hard to get where they are, and sometimes it's for the better that they do. You have a nice voice, so don't give up on it so easily."

Len's cheeks turned redder. "You haven't even heard me sing!"

"I don't need to; I can already hear it," the man said again, laughing more now. "The thing is, _you_ don't hear it. Listen to yourself every now and then."

"… You're weird." It was all Len could really say. He didn't even know this man and he was trying to encourage Len to keep trying to get accepted in the music industry. It was strange. The only support Len had really gotten was from his sister and some of her friends, like Meiko and Luka, but sometimes it just didn't feel like the right kind of support he needed. Len wasn't so oblivious as to figure that out already...

"Maybe so, but it makes for good conversation," the blue-haired man replied before standing up. "I need to be somewhere. It was nice talking to you."

He held out his hand. Len tentatively took it, shaking the man's hand, and when he pulled his hand back, it had a piece of paper in it. Len blinked. "What's this?" he asked, unfolding the paper. It was a place and a time, with a number underneath it.

The man smiled. "It's a concert I'm putting on. I'd be delighted if you came.

Len glanced at the man before looking back down at the time and place again. Something about it seemed familiar. "S-sure…" _Why_ was this so familiar? He recognized something about the place, but what concerts _weren't_ in town nowadays? But there was something he couldn't put his finger on, just what was it?

"Just tell them you're a VIP code 100002, and you won't have to pay to get in. I wrote it on the paper just so you wouldn't forget."

"Th-thanks," Len stuttered with a small red stain on his cheeks. "Uhh, what's your name?" Len looked up as the man turned away. "I'm Len. Kagamine Len."

The man smiled back at him over his shoulder. "Nice to meet you, Len." He then turned and waved as he walked off.

Len stood up, calling after him. "Wait, I don't know your name!"

A faint laugh reached his ears, and the man walked out of the park, which left Len very, very confused. His hand tightened on the piece of paper. Maybe it would be best to go, if only to find out who the hell that guy was.

-x-

"You're pushing it, bro," a man with fiery red hair said as his brother climbed into the car. "He's just a kid."

"He has talent, Akaito, and you _know_ I can't stand to see it wasted," his brother replied, blue locks dancing in front of his eyes as he closed the door and secured his seatbelt.

Akaito huffed and revved up the engine, pulling away from the park and into the traffic. "Yeah, but yer practically stalking him, Kaito. Kinda creepy, y'know?"

"I am _not_ stalking him," Kaito insisted, eyes a little harder, frustrated. He then turned his eyes back to the road with a frustrated sigh. "I'm just monitoring him."

"So basically stalking."

"It's not stalking."

"Well either way, it makes you seem like a pervert. He's still just a kid."

Kaito was silent. It was true that something about the blond had intrigued him, maybe evoked some form of feeling inside him; the point was that he had learned that Len was trying to become a world-renowned singer, and needed a big push at this point, since music industries no longer cared for talent so long as the singer looked pretty, like a celebrity. Kaito didn't like that kind of thinking. The singer could be covered in boils for all Kaito cared, so long as they sang their heart out. That was all it was. And Kaito had noticed Len when he first arrived into town. He saw how the blond was always mouthing lyrics when listening to his iPod and strolling down the street (Kaito had been in a small café with his brother at the time when he first spotted him through the window), how Len's eyes seem to go farther when music was in. The aqua eyes would brighten and there would be a flash of green in them, like a few blades of grass trapped in an orb of ice. Beautiful.

Len had great looks, too, despite being so young, but the youthful aspect to him was a key in his beauty, Kaito thought. And when the man listened to Len's voice when he talked to him today, Kaito likened it to low wind chimes that rung when the wind picked up and could only be heard if one listened very, very carefully. And Kaito had definitely listened. There was a certain melodic note in Len's voice that Kaito knew was a pure, raw gift. Kaito had a gift, but Len had the talent.

"You invited him to the concert, didn't you?" Akaito asked, and the blue-haired male nodded. "Bold move, 'specially cause the kid don't know you."

"He didn't recognize me is all," Kaito said, leaning back in his seat. "He was pretty out of it, or he'd realize who I was."

"Well, you kinda blend in when you're not wearin' your white and blue and insist on wearing black instead," Akaito countered, taking a sharp turn around the corner, to which Kaito gave a disapproving look. "Besides, you wanted secrecy for now and surprise him at the concert, right?"

Kaito nodded. "I think it's time he got the attention he deserves."

Akaito smirked at his brother. "Pervert."

Kaito gave him an offended look. "Says my brother who's openly gay for Mikuo."

Akaito blushed hard enough to match his hair. "You want me to crash this car?"

"Let's just head back. Miku's waiting for us."


	2. Chapter 2

Wind Chimes

Chapter Two

"Tadaima," Len announced as he close the door behind him. He let out a breathy sigh. He had walked around to clear his head after that meeting with that strange man... and his thoughts continually drifted back to him. Who was he? Why did he care? How had he known Len's exact problem?

Said blonde's cheeks reddened slightly.

"Nii-chaaaaaaan!" And in a flash, Rin was hugging him with a smile, giving him a tight squeeze. "Okaeri! How did it go?"

Len's smile faded and he returned the hug before pulling back. "Not too well…"

Rin frowned. "What did they say?" Len told her. "What!? That's horrible! You can too sing!" She didn't look pleased in the least. "You sometimes sing better than me, yet I'm the one with the job…" She looked down, almost guiltily now. "Nii-chan, should I quit? It feels unfair—"

Len placed his hands on his sister's shoulders. "No, don't do that. You have a real pretty voice, Rin. I've just got to try harder."

Rin gave him a somewhat pitying look, but slowly nodded. "Okay. You'll do great, Nii-chan, I know it!" And she hugged him again.

Len returned the hug, resting his chin on her shoulder. "Aa… I know."

He didn't tell her about the meeting with the blue-haired man.

-x-

"—And then they told him he had no musical talent whatsoever!"

"They what!?" Luka slammed her drink down, giving Rin an incredulous look. God knew they didn't always get along – they were sometimes at ends – but when they needed to talk, they were always around like the best of friends. They had met up in the music industry where they were both

"Yeah! Nii-chan's been locked up in his room most of the time, trying to practice," Rin went on, looking down at her Shirley Temple somewhat sadly. "He says he's not giving up, but… I don't know where else he can go. I feel it's unfair they hardly give him a chance and yet I get the job immediately…"

Luka hummed, stirring her own drink. "This is rather depressing…"

"I don't know what I can do to help my brother either!" Rin exclaimed. "I really, really wanna help him, but I'm afraid he'll react the wrong way. I was thinking about taking him to Kaito's 'Pearl Noose' concert tomorrow, but I think that'll just depress him…"

"It might. Hey, how about a day at the carnival? I know it's in town right after tomorrow's concert," Luka suggested, smiling just slightly.

Rin nodded. "Yeah, Len's always loved carnivals!" She sipped her drink thoughtfully. "Who else should we bring along?"

"Well, the entire gang, if you're serious. I bet Len hasn't formally met Miku and Kaito yet. Maybe they can take a day off from work since it's a post-concert day," Luka reminded Rin, which made the blonde girl brighten significantly.

"Yeah! I know Len adores Kaito, and I mean _really_ adores him, but he's never met him," Rin replied, setting down her drink. "Len also looks up to Gakupo, but Gakupo is a little—"

"Tense?" Luka supplied helpfully, then she laughed lightly. "Gakupo would never come to a carnival with us anyway."

"Okay, I'll tell Len we have a surprise for him," Rin said with a smile. "I bet he'll never have thought to meet Kaito in person, huh?"

"Probably not," Luka replied.

-x-

"Have fun, Rin!" Len bade his sister goodbye, waving after her.

"Bye, Nii-chan! I'll bring you back something good!" Rin called back before getting into Luka's car and driving off.

Len stood in the doorway for a long moment, then hurried up to his room. He put his headset on and connected the wire instead to his mp3 player. It was a bit of a walk to where he was going, but he would be all right. He then headed out the door, listening to Kaito's _'Last Night, Good Night'_ as he walked in the direction of the DVCC (Downtown Vocaloid Convention Center), the place where the concert was taking place.

As he walked, he mouthed the words, and at one point in time, he was singing them, without a care. He could only hear Kaito's voice in his ears, not his own, so he didn't care if he sounded horrible, like what people told him.

Upon arriving at the DVCC, he saw the line and frowned. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to come after all…

"Glad you could come."

Len whirled around. He came face-to-face with the man he had met just the other day. Dark blue hair, blue eyes, and wearing a long black trench coat, just like how he had when Len first met him. Len half-suspected that he wore it just so he would recognize him.

"A-ah, sure," Len stuttered a bit. He had to admit, the man was quite handsome. "S-so how do we—?"

"Get in?" the man replied. He chuckled and took Len's hand. "Come with me."

Len felt a tingling feeling when the man touched him and tried to ignore it. He noticed the man avoided the line completely and instead went around the side of the building. Len wasn't stupid, so he did know the bad things that could happen if one wasn't too careful about strangers, but this man seemed nice, gentle even. They came to a door where a guard was standing.

"I'm back," the blue-haired male replied, holding up a pass. "This is my friend. Please let him in."

The guard didn't hesitate and just nodded, allowing them in. The man chuckled and put his pass away before Len could see his name. "VIP passes work wonders. You might have to see how you can get one, Len-chan."

Len blushed slightly at the nickname. "H-ow did you…?"

"Never mind that. Go get a good spot now!" The man gave him a gentle push towards the front of the ground in front of the stage, where VIP reservations were roped off, but the man had basically gotten Len a front row seat. Len stood there in awe. Not only was he seeing a concert, but he was also up front, where he could see everything clearly. The only thing between him and the stage was that silver-poled barricade they always had to put up. If it were Kaito's concert—

Wait a moment. Len thought long and hard about the man. Blue hair and blue eyes wasn't uncommon, but there was something ridiculously familiar about the man's eyes. Like Len had seen them before. And not just at the park, but also before, like he'd followed those eyes at one point in time.

The DVCC eventually filled up pretty quickly, and Len realized quickly that he had a lot of room. Not many people could be where he was. Len unplugged his cord from his mp3 player and put it in his pocket. His headphones buzzed once and lit up a bit. He turned them down.

The lights dimmed and there was a chorus of cheers. Len had never seen the center so packed before! Blue-green smoke was leaking onto the stage and a familiar song was playing.

"_Mou ikiba ga nai wa…Kono koi no netsuryou—AHH!!"_

And then none other than Miku Hatsune was on stage, holding the megaphone, and her voice carried out into the crowd. The sound waves were intense, high pitched. Everyone knew Miku was a _falsetto_, the only Vocaloid who could reach impossible notes, and now she proved it once again. Teal eyes scanned the crowd and landed on Len before Miku began moving around the stage, moving her body to the harsh beats.

"_Hajimeru no yo! Kore wa sensou! Ureshi sou na kimi wo miru nante!"_

Len couldn't do anything but watch, listening as the music flooded his ears and it rooted him. He couldn't help but sing the words with Miku, even though he was so drowned out by the crowd's screaming and rooting.

_"Misete ageru watashi no omoi wo!"_

But wait, this was all so weird. If Miku was the opening act – Len could guess that from the fact she was singing _'Love is War'_ right off the bat, when normally she tended to open her own concert with _'Soundscraper'_ – then who was the main singer? Could it be Kaito? No, what were the chances that a man had invited him to Kaito's concert unless he was—Len's eyes widened. No way. It wasn't possible!

"_Koi wa moumoku…Kimi no kuchizuke de me ga sameru no!"_

Cheers were heard from the crowd as people began jumping up and down. Miku smiled that sheepish, shy smile and boy before moving toward the back of the stage. The green-blue smoke was replaced with navy and it slowly spilled off the stage, seeping into the crowd. Len watched the stage, transfixed. He was waiting for the other singer to come out. Could it be Kaito? Possibly? What if it wasn't? And where was that man who had invited him here?

"If you keep watching the smoke, you'll never see the singer."

Len heard the voice over all the cheers and screams in his ear and when he looked down to eye level again, to the one who spoke, time stopped. The crowd was gone, a faded shadow in the background, and light citrine eyes met with deep sapphire. It was the man from before, but his hair was more tousled, and he had a black headset on. Instead of the black trench coat, he wore a white over coat trimmed with blue to match his eyes, and that blue scarf was—

"Y-you're…"

Kaito smiled. "Glad you could come."

Len blushed. Immensely. How could he have been so stupid? He'd been face-to-face with his idol singer the entire time and been too stupid to realize it! Of course, the darker scarf made it hard and Len knew Kaito tended to wear white, but…

"W-why did you…?"

Kaito just smiled, reached over, and touched Len's head, ruffling the already messy spiked hair. Len's heart began pounding, pounding harder than he'd ever remembered, and it was louder than anything else. Kaito was speaking, but he couldn't hear; his heart was too loud. Kaito then winked and flicked a wave before jumping onto the stage. The crowd was back, the screams were back, but Len could still hear his heart above all else. It ached, it burned, it beat, and it reminded Len of something.

Kaito greeted everyone with a smile and began to sing his own opening _'Toki Wasure Bito'_, one song Len knew very well. It was a song Kaito composed when he had been down; it was all about him, a warrior, fighting in a war with his comrades, and then once the war was over, he was on the street corner, standing all alone as the people bustled around him, and his only thoughts were about where his comrades might be. The song, Len knew, could be interpreted any way, like how Kaito had written it and explained it once in an interview, but others interpreted it as his comrades had died in the war and Kaito was left all alone. Len himself wasn't sure what to think. Music was open to interpretation.

But Len could hear the voice above all else, and the voice wormed its way down into his heart, where feelings he had never expressed, nor given thought to, and... Len stopped, noticing something. Even though Kaito moved about the stage and held open his arms as he sang, even though he was doing his normal performance, Len noticed that those eyes were trained on him. As if the man was solely singing for him… but that couldn't be. Heat rose once again to Len's cheeks.

All too soon, the song was over, and Len wondered why he hadn't enjoyed it more. Was it because Kaito kept looking at him? Ridiculous, he could've been looking at anyone! Kaito was talking, but Len was far too in thought to realize it. It was then he felt a nudge from someone behind him and he looked back at him or her to ask what was up, when they pointed back to the stage and Len turned around.

Kaito was kneeling on the stage at the edge, holding out his hand. Len stared, dumbfounded. Kaito smiled. "Sing with me, Len."

He spoke without his microphone, so only Len could hear him over the crowd, which was hushing down.

"Y-you … you w-want me to—"

"Yes."

Oh, that smile. That charming, handsome smile that could make Len get weak at the knees (which was a feminine trait, and since he wasn't a girl, he'd never admit it). He could only stare at the offered hand. "B-but I…" He had to find an excuse. Some excuse. It was too good to be real.

Kaito just chuckled. "Come on, no excuse is going to deter me."

Len stared, stared a little more, and reached out. His hand fell into Kaito's and some spark, some electricity, ran up his arms from the touch and he was being pulled, over the barrier, and then he was on stage, and Kaito was gripping his hand tenderly, perhaps a bit too tenderly.

The keyboard in the background began and Len knew it immediately. Kaito wanted Len to sing _'Last Night, Good Night'_ with him. Len couldn't believe this was happening. He didn't hear the crowd, which had hushed down, but was now cheering them on.

Len thought he might've heard Rin's faraway cry of "You can do it, Len-nii-chan!"

Kaito was looking at Len with that same smile, that same soft smile, and Len felt something inside him soar. Lips rounded, vowels formed, words escaped…

"_Suya suya… yume wo miteru…kimino… yokogao…"_

The music in his ears, the music they sang together, sounded so perfectly in-synch, Len began thinking it was a dream. Kaito's deep rumble in the first few lines matched up with Len's slightly higher voice. Len was only an octave or two above Kaito, after all.

"_SET-SU-NA no tokimeki wo…"_

Len felt his voice going higher more naturally than when he had practiced. Kaito was giving him an appraising look. It was approval, and something else. Something Len couldn't exactly place.

"_Last niiiiight! Good niiiiight!"_

Kaito was leading him around the stage and Len was able to follow his movements precisely, almost as if he had practiced, but something about it was just natural, the way they danced and sang together, like they were almost… _meant_ to sing together. Len got that feeling when he sang with Rin, but with Kaito, he felt something more, something tugging at him.

And Len found he couldn't tear his eyes from Kaito, couldn't keep his eyes away from the sight of the one person who had given him more than just a chance. Len felt something being put back together.

"_Yozora ni negau no… tokiwa no egao wo…"_

Kaito turned to him and Len found himself smiling. _"Oyasumi…"_

The song faded out and Len thought his ears would go deaf from the crowd. Some pushed at the barrier and Len looked out. It just now occurred to him he was on stage, was standing next to one of the world's most-renowned singers, and had just sung a song on-key with him—

Len shielded his eyes when the spotlight landed on him and Kaito placed his hand on the blonde's shoulder. Miku had come from off-stage and was standing on Len's left. She gave him that cute little smile she did; it was better than her shy, sheepish smile, Len thought. She was smiling for him. He blushed. Miku was kinda cute when she did that…

-x-

Len was eventually led off the stage with Kaito and Miku and into one large dressing room. He didn't realize he was shaking, and was shaking with excitement. He had just sung with _Kaito Shion, _on_ stage,_ in front of a _crowd of people_… and they had _liked_ it.

"If its anything to go by," Kaito said with a chuckle, handing Len a bottle of water. "I'd say the crowd adored you."

Len turned red. "N-no, it was probably all you, Kaito-san!"

"Just 'Kaito' is fine," the man replied gently. "And I'm serious. You do have a wonderful voice, Len."

"Th-thank you…" Oh, God, he was stuttering more than normal now.

A knock came at the door.

"Come in," Kaito responded, his eyes not tearing from Len's face, which was heavily tinted pink with embarrassment.

The door flew open and the next thing Len knew, his sister had glomped him and was snuggling against him. "Len-nii-chan, you did amazing! That has to be the best you've sung yet!"

"A-ah, Rin… c-can't breathe!" Len choked out.

Rin giggled and released him. "Sorry, Nii-chan." She stepped back a bit. "I didn't expect to see you here. I thought you'd be at home."

"W-well, I got invited by… hey," Len began, but then turned to Kaito. "Why did you disguise yourself when you met me?"

Kaito smiled. "Because you wouldn't have treated like you did if you knew I was a famous singer?"

… That was definitely a good reason.

"You invited him, Kaito-san?" Rin asked, eyes widening a bit.

"Mhm, I did," Kaito replied. "I thought he deserved a chance. Besides… the crowd was crawling with music studio managers, if you didn't notice, Len." He winked.

Len blushed again and this time looked away.

"Nii-chan, we were all going to take you to the carnival after tonight, since I thought bringing you here might make you depressed," Rin then said. "I was going to ask Kaito-san and Miku-san if they wanted to come since a post-concert day is a free day for us..."

Len's eyes widened. "You were going to...?"

Rin nodded. "You've been so down lately, so... I thought it would cheer you up."

"I don't have any objections to coming," Kaito interjected, with still that same smile, and those deep sapphire eyes were looking at Len intently, almost scarily so, and it made the boy blush harder. "Miku-chan, do you want to come?"

The singer had just come back after changing into a slightly longer skirt and a three-quarter sleeved shirt in her signature colours of teal and grey. She giggled. "The carnival? Sure. It sounds like fun."

When Miku didn't sing, she had a slightly deeper tone to her voice, but it was still high and very cute.

"Then it's a plan!" Rin announced, fist-pumping the air. "All right!"


End file.
